SEC Battles Highlight Five College Football Questions for Week Four

Week four of the college football season has the potential to be huge. There are a couple of games with national championship implications, as well as several conference battles.

No more setup is needed. Let’s get right to the five college football questions I am looking forward to getting the answers to in week four:

With the first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft the Buffalo Bills select...

5. Will Andrew Luck solidify his NFL Draft footing on the national stage?

Stanford’s quarterback has worked his way up to the top spot on Mel Kiper’s big board. In the first three games of the season Luck has thrown for 674 yards, 10 touchdowns and no interceptions. This weekend he and the Cardinal head to South Bend, Indiana to take on the Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium on national television. Last year he was a solid 14 of 20 for 198 yards but did not throw a touchdown pass against the Irish.

4. Can West Virginia earn the Big East some respect in Death Valley?

How daunting is the task for the Mountaineers? LSU is 52-5 in night games at Tiger Stadium since 2000. Since bringing on head coach Les Miles the Bayou Bengals are 25-1 in that situation. Both teams come into the game at 3-0. If West Virginia can steal a win it will go a long way in earning the Big East respect, but the likelihood of that happening is extremely slim.

3. Which of the two trendy SEC teams, South Carolina or Auburn, will continue their joy ride?

It may not be the biggest battle in the SEC on Saturday, but make no mistake, the South Carolina-Auburn games is a big one. The Gamecocks have been riding freshman running back Marcus Lattimore to a 3-0 record and many mentions as a challenger to Florida in the SEC East. Auburn is coming off a big win over Clemson, bumping their record up to 3-0. The Tigers are being held up as a challenger to their hated rival, Alabama, in the SEC West. Whoever wins this game will make a big statement about their intentions.

2. Will Oregon State derail Boise State’s slim hopes for national championship consideration?

Virginia Tech’s loss to James Madison all but booted the Broncos from national championship contention. They now need a lot of things to go in their favor to get back into that conversation. Oregon State has already had a chance to ruin the national championship hopes of a non-BCS contender. They lost that game on opening weekend to TCU. Will the outcome be different on Saturday night in Boise?

1. Can Arkansas end Alabama’s 16 game SEC regular season winning streak?

This is an appointment game – so clear your schedule right now for 3:30 Saturday afternoon. The Razorbacks have lived up to expectations so far this season going 3-0 on the arm of Heisman front runner Ryan Mallett. Now comes the ultimate test, #1 ranked Alabama. Arkansas hopes to rely on Mallett and the home field advantage to get a win over the Crimson Tide. Alabama got reigning Heisman trophy winner Mark Ingram back last week and he looked stellar. Arkansas is going to have to play their best defensive game of the year to get the win.

Did I miss the game you are most looking forward to this weekend? Do you see these matchups in a different light? Let me know in the comments section below.